Shooting jacket



Oct. 1, 1968 E. W. BISHOP ET AL SHOOTING JACKET Filed Dec. 20. 1966 I INVENTORS. EDWARD m BISHOP GAIL w PHILLIPS A T TOr'PNEY United States Patent 3,403,407 SHOOTING JACKET Edward W. Bishop, Darien, and Gail W. Phillips, Madison, Conn., assignors to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,362 4 Claims. (Cl. 294) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shooting garment having a recoil pad attached to the front body panel, the recoil pad having an outer side edge portion positioned adjacent the armhole opening and an inner side edge opposite said outer side edge, the inner side edge being concave whereby the pad has a greater width at the top and bottom than at the middle.

This invention relates generally to a shooting garment and more particularly to a shooting garment incorporating a specially designed recoil pad.

Prior to this invention, recoil pads attached to shooting garments were generally of rectangular configuration. .The top edge of the pad was positioned on the body of the garment adjacent the shoulder seam and the outside edge of the pad adjacent the armhole seam. The bottom edge was spaced an appropriate distance from the top edge and the inner edge spaced from the outer edge. Each of these edges were substantially straight. It has been found that in normal use, the recoil pad would tend to bunch when the shooter raised his arm to the firing position resulting in an uncomfortable feeling when the gun was held tight to the shoulder.

The design of recoil pads such as described above does not take into consideration the movement of the shooters upper torso and arms when the shooter raises the firearm into the correct firing position commonly used for trap and skeet and the position his arms and shoulder assume during shooting. When the shooter raises his arm and brings the firearm up and back to his shoulder into position, the shoulder is rotated forwardly and slightly upwardly from its position when the shooter is erect.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide a shooting garment having a recoil pad designed to take into account the natural body movement of the shooter and the position of his shoulder and arm when the firearm is in position to be fired.

Additionally, it is another object of the present invention to provide a shooting garment having a recoil pad which will not pucker or bunch, when the shooter assumes the proper shooting position.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a shooting garment having a recoil pad so designed that it will form a pocket to receive the butt of the firearm when the shooter assumes the proper shooting position.

A more complete understanding of these and other features of the invention will 'be gained from a consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a shooting garment incorporating the recoil pad of the present invention shown in operative position on the body of the wearer when the wearer assumes a natural erect position, and;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of a shooting garment and recoil pad of FIGURE 1 shown on a wearer with the wearer in position for shooting.

The unique recoil pad 2 of the present invention is shown in conjunction with a shooting garment 4 of the type commonly used while shooting at moving targets 3,403,407, Patented Oct. 1, 1968 such as skeet and other forms of tra'p shooting. The shooting garment 4 comprises left and right front panels 6 and 8 connected longitudinally down the front by means of a zipper 10. A back panel 12 is secured to the front panels 6 and 8 along shoulder seams 14 and 16. Sleeves 18 and 20 are attached to the back panel 12 and its associated front panel 6 or 8 by arm hole seams 22 and 24. The garment 4 may be provided with bellows pockets 26, as well as a breast pocket 28 designed to hold two shot she ls.

The recoil pad 2 may be formed of any suitable resilientlike material. In the preferred modification it comprises a layer of leather having a foam back and wafile stitched.

The edges of the recoil pad 2 have a configuration that will permit the pad to take into account the position of the shooters arm, shoulder, and rib cage when the firearm is in the shooting position.

The top and bottom edges 30 and 32 are straight and generally parallel and spaced apart a sufiicient distance to provide an adequate area for receiving the butt stock of the firearm. Also, the outer side edge 34 is generally straight and may be perpendicular to the top and bottom edges 30 and 32. The inner side edge 36 is concave or generally C-shaped whereby the recoil pad has a greater width at the top and bottom than it does at the center. The pad 2 is attached to the garment 4 by appropriate stitching and so positioned that the outer side edge 34 is adjacent the arm hole seam 22 and the top edge 30 spaced from the shoulder seam 14 a slight distance.

By virtue of the above-described configuration, when a shooter raises his arm and his shoulder, rotates forwardly and upwardly into the shooting position, the inner side edge 36 tends to rotate into the body. Since the natural shape of the shooters body is convex at this point, the concave edge 36 is able to mate without bunching. In addition, there is more bulk at the top and bottom of the pad 2 whereby the center tends to collapse inwardly forming a pocket for the reception of the firearm at the proper place in relation to the shooters body.

It is to be understood that various modifications and alterations will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that the foregoing description be considered as exemplary only, and that the scope of this invention be ascertained from the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a shooting garment including a back body panel, at least one front body panel attached to said back body panel, and an armhole; a recoil pad attached to said front body panel and having an outer side edge portion positioned adjacent said armhole opening, an inner side edge opposite said outer side edge, and top and bottom edges, said inner side edge being concave and said pad having a greater width at the top and bottom than through its middle.

2. The combination of claim 1 further including at least one sleeve attached to said front and back body panels along an armhole seam at said armhole.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said top and bottom edges are generally parallel to each other.

4. The combination of claim 3 further including at least one sleeve attached to said front and back body panels along an armhole seam at said armhole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,063,469 12/1936 Smith 294 3,105,241 10/1963 Allen 294 3,122,753 3/1964 Smith 294 3,257,666 6/1966 Hoffman 22 RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner. 

